


Star Base Gotham

by Kira_K



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Family, Gen, POV Jim, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 15:50:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7851409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_K/pseuds/Kira_K
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Welcome to Star Base Gotham."</i>
</p>
<p>James T. Kirk meets Bruce Wayne at the independent Star Base Gotham. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gen fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star Base Gotham

**Author's Note:**

> When writing Jim, I was mostly writing ST:Beyond!Kirk - but it could probably work with Shatner!Kirk as well. Just like Bruce is a generic Bruce Wayne: his portrayal was influenced by every media he was ever part of. :) 
> 
>  
> 
> Betaread by [uran](http://archiveofourown.org/users/uran).

„As a representative of the Federation of United Planets, I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter.” Jim Kirk swallows back the pain that flashes through him as he forces a smile. Dermal regenerators can do only so much as Bones is wont to say and Jim had a broken jaw, split lip and seriously bruised nose just a few hours ago. He had washed off the blood and Bones took care of the most life threatening injuries so he is looking presentable but his face still tingles and will continue to do so for a week or so. Jim hopes he will have a chance to sleep soon because he is also tired.

„Captain, it was our pleasure,” the voice is deep and honeyed, used to be obeyed without question. The commander of the base is tall and muscled, his blue eyes sharp and his black hair barely showing a hint of grey. “Please, allow us to host you until your repairs are done. My people had prepared quarters to you.”

Jim shares a brief glance with Spock, the Commander’s eyes show the same exhaustion he feels. There is nothing that would indicate that the attack against the Enterprise had been a trap by their rescuers, so he nods his acceptance and thanks. Any quarters they are given is bound to be more spacious than the ship’s, so it would be a welcome change even though the base is somewhat dark,orbiting mostly around the darker side of one of the nameless moons of the DC52STXI system.

“Welcome to Star Base Gotham.”

~

All of them are given separate rooms – even the lowliest Ensign and Jim keeps only a skeleton crew on the ship for security’s sake. Star Base Gotham is not an enemy of the Federation but it is not an ally either. There are commercial ties, of course, but that is not enough to be irresponsible. (Also, Scotty refused to leave his Lady in the hands of anybody else, and leaving Scotty unprotected would have been sheer stupidity. Despite Kirk’s reputation to get into trouble, the head engineer is twice as likely to get himself into a bad situation which he doesn’t have the means to escape.

The Base’s commander, Bruce Wayne is a shrewd businessman aside of being a politician and military leader (and Jim tries very hard to put aside his ill feelings about the absolute power Wayne has). He offered his resources and when asked for the price he named a fair one – with a couple of favours granted.

Kirk is getting fed up with the negations; the repairs are stilled until they come to an agreement and without the dilithium they cannot leave. He is forced into a corner: his charm is no use against Bruce Wayne, nor is his offer of simple monetary compensation.

They are in the base commander’s office, for some ‘unofficial’ discussion and Kirk has had enough. He puts down his glass without tasting its contents and shakes his head. “Please, understand, Mr. Wayne,-“

“Bruce, Captain,” Wayne interrupts him, seemingly friendly. Jim narrows his eyes.

“Bruce then. Please, understand that I am not allowed to make promises in the name of the Federation. My reputation might say otherwise but I am low in the chain of command, so I cannot grant you special treatment or better duties or whatever you would have of me.”

Wayne puts down his PADD and his eyes seem more serious for the first time since he had offered to help dispatch the blasted band of pirates. “And please, understand Captain Kirk, that I have money. Gotham mines dilithium among other things, and it is an independent base. We offered to help because we are decent people but I would be a poor leader if I had allowed this sentimentalism to go further than this.”

“Then we are at an impasse,” Jim notes and doesn’t look away from Bruce’s eyes. He waits for the other to lose his temper; to order him and his men off base, to somehow punish James because he wasn’t willing to bend to the governor’s will. When nothing happens for long seconds Kirk reminds himself that he is at Gotham – and not somewhere else.

“What about a compromise?” Wayne asks. “I would like a personal favour.”

And this is why Jim hates people with absolute power. The bile in his mouth is something he has trouble speaking past but he manages. “Should I drop down to my knees?”

“What?” Wayne looks confused then too horrified for it to be a lie. He takes a couple of quick steps away from Jim. “No! Kirk, you are young enough to be one of my kids; and-!” He backs to the door without finishing his protest, and opens it without looking away from Kirk. When they are no longer shut away in the cozy darkness of the office, Wayne wipes his face clean of emotions. “Richard, get in here!” He shouts and Kirk has a moment to be confused before another dark head pops into the room. This one introduced himself as the ‘Second-in-Command, Lt. Commander Grayson, call me Dick’. Richard Grayson looks confused and unsure of why he is being summoned and does nothing to curb his expression.

Wayne’s professionalism seems to be pretty broken: he puts a light hand against Grayson’s shoulder before turning him towards Kirk. “Dick, please. Explain Captain Kirk what we want and why.” Then Wayne disappears.

Jim stares after him. This was not what he had counted on when he made his offer. “Well, that was…”

“Unexpected.” Dick Grayson offers with a smile. “The last time I saw Bruce flee like that – Well, it had been a long time now.”

Jim turns toward him. It is easier to turn on the charm for Grayson who is around his age and has an easy, honest smile. Wayne’s smiles were all practiced, and false and Kirk had to resist the urge to rearrange his teeth more than once. “So, your commander seemed to want a personal favour out of me but the nature of the favour was not discussed before his… strategic retreat.”

Grayson blinks. “That’s odd. As far as I know he already signed all of the paperwork to deliver your missing parts and the dilithium is on its way as well to your chief engineer with our very own Mr. Fox.”

It is Jim’s turn to blink because he would never be this lucky. “So what does he want in exchange?”

“Nothing?” Grayson asks back before he sits down in his commander’s seat. A glance at the PADD Wayne had been playing with has him wince and look oddly apologetic. “Or, well. I think he wants one of our people returned.”

“Returned.” Jim goes back to the desk and lowers himself down to the visitor’s armchair slowly.

“From prison.”

Jim is not sure if this sounds better or worse than sexual favours – but he still doesn’t have the power to grant any kind of pardons. Instead he asks a few relevant questions which the Admiralty needs in case they want to grant this favour. (If he is being honest, it is probable that it will be granted. Gotham is one of their main dilithium-suppliers and Wayne could sabotage it in so many ways it doesn’t bear thinking about.) “Whatever are they in for? And what is their sentence and which colony? And their name?”

“It’s Jason Todd.” Grayson seems to want to say more before handing over the PADD for Jim. A quick glance shows another dark haired man, scowl firmly in place on his official arrest photo. Todd, Jason Peter, 19, piracy and smuggling, 5 to 10 years, two months in in Réno. What is interesting is Jason Todd’s emergency contact, called Richard Grayson, from Gotham.

“Husband?” Jim asks because piracy is serious, and it looks like his earlier assumptions about there not being any trap had been off.

“No.” Grayson seems to debate it for almost half a minute before he adds, quietly like it is a secret. “Brother. Adopted, and he would rather punch me than hug me but he doesn’t deserve to be locked up.”

“So he isn’t a smuggler and a pirate? It is all a misunderstanding?” Jim asks, careful to keep the mocking incredibility out of his tone, and he relishes the shift in the conversation, the shift in power. “It still doesn’t explain why would Wayne help him and you.”

“That is classified.” Grayson replies without missing a note. “And Jason… might have done some smuggling. Maybe. But he isn’t a pirate.”

Kirk nods. For some reason Grayson looks more honest, his words sound more true than Wayne’s. “So, you want this Mr. Todd returned here, to Gotham. In exchange of all the help and parts and dilithium you had already offered and delivered.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Grayson smiles and sips from the drink in front of him as if it had been his glass. Jim notes this, just like the rest of oddities the base had offered so far. “Is this agreeable to you, Captain?”

Jim nods and offers his hand for a shake. “Let me introduce the idea to the Admiralty. Also, you should probably take over the negotiations from Commander Wayne.”

Grayson laughs. “Usually he does okay but I’ll make sure to let him know.”

~

The Admiralty – unsurprisingly, really – allows Gotham to bribe them with a bit more dilithium for the release of one Jason Peter Todd a few years earlier than sentenced. The USS Enterprise is chosen as the transport ship; partly because it is Kirk’s mess, he should clean it up, as one Rear Admiral had muttered under their nose, and partly because he had a working relationship with Gotham and the Enterprise could carry back the offered dilithium without needing extra escorts. Jim reminds them of the pirates he had encountered the first time in the DC52STXI system but it is no use: he has his orders.

Spock is the one to arrange the release and transfer of Todd from Réno to the shuttle and then to the Enterprise; there is artificial interference to prevent beaming a prisoner out and there are magnetic storms to make it even worse. Bones worries for Spock and Jim probably finds it more amusing than he should but then there is a problem—and Jim can do nothing aside of hounding his crew to find a solution before it is too late and the shuttle crashes.

It takes way too long to adjust the transporters. Jim gives the go-ahead the moment Scotty says he is ready and then there is Spock and another man (presumably Todd) in the transporter room- just as the shuttle’s shields and dampeners give up the fight and the shuttle nosedives back towards the planet’s surface. They warn the colony of the falling ship then it is burning up and Jim watches it on the screen. He is pale and Bones is holding onto his elbow tight enough to keep him standing as Jim realizes: a few minutes late and he would have lost Spock. When he is steady enough he throws a thankful glance at his best friend before stepping forth.

“Spock, it’s good to see you in one piece. Mr Todd, welcome aboard the USS Enterprise.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Todd replies.

Bones switches into doctor mode and corrals both Spock and Todd to the infirmary for a checkup and to treat the small bumps and bruises. Jim sends a few of the security with them, and doesn’t offer to take off Todd’s handcuffs. The Admiralty had decided to not inform Todd of what happens, fearing that Gotham would try to go back on its word. So, as long as the Enterprise’s storage is empty of dilithium, Todd is a prisoner of the Federation.

~

Spock’s report of the incident is quite insightful about their prisoner. Todd did not try to escape or attack but had offered suggestions and solutions which hinted about some kind of formal education in engineering despite the lack of official records, and informal creative problem solving, the latter which is not surprising at all from a smuggler. Todd does ask a few questions – about his meals, possible entertainment, if he is being transferred because of the fight and where exactly are they taking him? – before he settles down.

“Your file doesn’t have any fights listed,” Jim notes once they are only a day away from Réno, “or really, any fighting skills.” He thinks back to being young and angry, and how he hated when people had decided things for him. Admiralty be damned, Todd must have had a reason to run away from Gotham.

“Okay?” Todd seems oddly uncomfortable in the captain’s ready room. The cuffs are still on and there is a security just outside the door. (Jim took off his own phaser because he is not stupid, and he would rather lower the chances of being held hostage with his own weapon. Once was more than enough.)

“So, why would you ask if you are transferred because of a fight? What fight?” Jim asks. If their prisoner is skilled enough in hand-to-hand then he would need more than one escort.

“Well, some asshole wanted to see if I was squishy or not,” Todd drawls and his shoulders are pulled back as much as the cuffs allow. “So, I protected myself. The next thing I know there is a full-on prison rebellion. I figured they put me down as the trouble-maker and wanted to have me as far away from Réno as possible.”

“No,” Jim shakes his head. He waits until he has Todd’s full attention before dropping the bomb. “You are being transferred to Gotham.” 

“Gotham?” Todd blinks. “As in Star Base Gotham, DC52STXI?”

“Yes. The Admiralty made a deal. However, if you prefer the Federation prison to Gotham, I can do that.” It is a shitty choice but a choice nonetheless.

“I…” Todd is speechless for a minute. Jim lets him think in silence. Then Todd lifts his too-green eyes, and they shine with unshed tears, “I want to go home.”

~

Jim Kirk watches Wayne and Grayson as they meet in the conference room. Todd stands behind him, security and Spock making sure that he won’t run (not that Jim thinks he would but he had been wrong before). Grayson’s whole face lits up with pure joy and he startles forward before coming to a halt as Wayne’s hand shots out to stop him. “JAY!” he shouts instead and Jim’s gaze flickers back to Todd who is grinning like a lunatic as well.

Wayne is more subdued but there is something looser in his stance once Jim nods his order to make the exchange. Todd is released and he makes short work of the few metres that separate him and the other Gothamites. Then, to the surprise of everybody he launches himself at Wayne (Jim is startled for a moment before the puzzles rearrange themselves once more). “You came for me, you came,” Jason says against Wayne’s neck, hugging him as if his life depends on it.

“Of course I did, son,” Wayne murmurs, barely audible before patting his back. “I promised.” Then he gently prises the boy off – and Jim sees, how Todd is really just a boy for the moment -, and shoves him at Grayson. “Go, get your brother settled. I still have some business to attend to and I am sure the Federation would rather not wait either.”

Grayson nods eagerly and pulls Todd away, who is looking a bit dazed.

“Sorry about that,” Wayne offers with a false smile. “So, back to business.”

Jim misses his real smile but first he needs to complete his mission. They need to spend the day to make sure the cargo is secure, so there is still plenty of time to force Wayne to show it once more. “Indeed.” He isn’t sure why he wants to see it but something had ached inside of him since that desperate hug between Wayne and Todd; something that he thought stopped hurting when Pike had died.

~

Jim is early to his late-night meeting with Wayne. He knows he is early, and it is without shame that he eavesdrops for a few minutes in front of the badly shut door. (How odd – the Star Base’s technology is up-to-date but there are parts where it is ancient, probably preserved as it was at its foundation. He even found a room with paper books!) There is some shouting going on – Jim recognizes Wayne’s and Todd’s voice, and quieter, Grayson’s.

“Stars help me, if you ever do this again I am going to sick Thalia on you!” Wayne sounds more frustrated than angry.

Jim wonders who Thalia is before Todd replies with a wounded sound and Grayson with a laugh. “You getting out the big guns, Bruce?”

“Dick, you encourage him, and I am going to include Selina, Barbara, and every damned woman in the system who ever had any kind of contact with either of you. And if that is not enough, I am going to ask for help from the Kents to keep you all out of trouble!”

Jim snickers to himself. It looks like Bruce Wayne for all of his power is still as helpless as any other father against his sons.

“Aww, Bruce, don’t be like that,” Todd cajoles. “I came back?”

“And I have several gray hairs, thanks to you. Don’t even dream about the stars for the next year, Jason. I am serious.”

“What?!”

“Nothing. Now scoot, I have a meeting with Captain Kirk in two minutes.” 

Jim backs away silently from the door- it wouldn’t do to get caught listening to a private chat -and it is not a moment too soon. Lt. Commander Grayson is pushing the door open with his left hand and his right is clasped around Jason Todd’s shoulder and pulling the younger boy through the doorway.

Jim smirks at the sight and Grayson grins at his direction before going the other way – probably to their quarters. While Gotham’s circle is mostly shadowed there are hours when it is even darker – true night it is called here, according to Uhura. Jim waits until they disappear from the corridor before pushing the door open and closing it behind himself.

Wayne is leaning against his desk, a glass of what seems and smells like brandy is in his hand and he is staring at a projection of Earth.

“Captain Kirk, I’m glad you could make it,” he greets Jim and there is a vague hand gesture towards the bar. Jim considers the merits of alcohol then decides to take him on the offer and pours one for himself. He wanders close to Bruce Wayne and they clink their glasses together before slipping the drink.

Jim cannot help the pleasurable moan as his tastebuds are fully immersed. “This is good!” Bones would kill for it. Well, not kill, but curse and beg, definitely.

Wayne chuckles and takes another sip. “This is an expensive import from Earth; and I am going to give you the rest of the bottle if you want it.”

“Why would you do that?” Jim asks. These things don’t happen to him. Maybe this was a trap of a different kind all the way? His words are sharp and his muscles tense, “Reconsidering my offer, Bruce?”

“What?” Bruce blinks at him, tearing away his gaze from the Blue planet. His voice is different from when they were negotiating. “While you are a handsome young man, I am not interested in you.”

Kirk swirls his drink around in his glass. “Then why did you leave the door open?”

“Because I realized we got off on the wrong foot at first.” Huh. Maybe Dick Grayson did give the message about negotiation to Wayne. Wayne rakes a hand through his hair, disturbing its perfection for a moment. Jim sees, probably for the first time, how tired he is. “I am not going to apologize. I wanted Jason back and you needing help provided the perfect opportunity.”

“Did you arrange the attack against my ship?” Jim asks quietly. His gut says he can trust Wayne but experience says something different.

“No,” Wayne shakes his head. “It was bad luck.” He reaches behind him for a PADD and after a couple of buttons he shows a battle plan to Kirk. It is a thing of beauty and Kirk notes how it could have worked. Probably. It is also dated only only a few days earlier. “If I were to attack the flagship of the Federation, my first step would be to kill its communications.”

“You don’t want a war,” Jim states. “Then what do you want?”

“What I want and what Gotham needs are different things.” Wayne takes a breath. It feels like the silence before the storm; the moment when the air is charged and the lightening is just about to strike. “Gotham would like to enter into an alliance with the Federation.”

~end~

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos are the best. 
> 
> Also, this is a one-shot but there might be a few drabbles/unfinished pieces within the same universe in the future. If anybody is interested. :)


End file.
